The witch hunt – rewrite
AN: As there have been complains about the end and stuff and I wasn't happy with it myself the decision to rewrite this fic was made.
Because I am a lazy ass I kept some parts and changed stuff I was unhappy with. Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review if possible. Thank you
Blood was everywhere. His wound had reopened. Cold sweat coated his heated body. But he didn't stop. He continued his way through the forest jerkily, slipping away.
His vision blurred right as he caught a glance of bright blue hair somewhere in front of him. Should he hide? Should he try to reach it?
Darkness enclosed him before he could decide.
Gajeel slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a dim small room, lying on something rather soft, covered in warm, heavy blankets, a cold napkin on his forehead.
The man shifted, seeing black immediately, a quiet grunt escaping his lips. Fuck! The wound...
As his vision was fully back, a female figure was leaning over him, smiling softly. Her bright blue hair and huge chocolate eyes stood out even in the dim room.
"So you are finally awake. You have slept for three days." she said quietly, still smiling at him "How do you feel?"
Gajeel tried to sit up, this time prepared for the pain coming from his wound, as small gentle hands supported him suddenly.
"Where am I? Who are you? And what happened?" he asked after a moment of rest, leaning against the wall.
The girl watched silently as he brushed away some strains of his long black hair that were clinging to his sweat-coated face. He was all dirt and blood.
"My name is Levy and this is my house. I have found you unconscious in the forest, through I have no idea how you got there." the blue haired girl replied. After hesitating for a second she continued "You were very lucky. Not many people take upon themselves to walk into the forest as it is called enchanted."
The new information made Gajeel smirk. "So how do you know that I am not a demon from the enchanted forest?" he asked, clearly challenging her.
Levy stared at him in silence again, making Gajeel wonder if the petite woman would throw him out and make a ruckus after the comment.
"I don't believe such tales. And as a healer, I can tell that you are clearly human, through I have never seen anybody to overcome such an injury, Mister..." she stopped, just realizing that she didn't even know his name.
"Gajeel" the man said finally, making the young woman smile at him again.
"So how do you feel? You have a deep cut through your right side, but it missed any vital points. The cuts on your arms will leave scars through..." the girl fell quiet.
Gajeel was used to people running away from him just because of his looks, but that didn't seem to be the case with this girl.
"Hey Shorty, what's wrong?"
The comment made the bluenette's cheeks burn, through it was unclear if the cause was anger or embarrassment.
Without a word, Levy turned around and approached the stove, reaching out for a little box, obviously containing some spices as it was bright red as she put some of it into a bowl.
Gajeel needed a while to realize that the young woman in front of him was indeed cooking.
He watched her as she moved around the room in silence. To him, the blunette looked like a fairy from an old tale. Petite and slim, the unusual hair colour making the impression even stronger.
"Hey Shorty. What were ya doing in the enchanted forest by yourself anyway? Ya a fairy or something?"
"Mister Gajeel! I am not that short! And obviously not a fairy!" the petite woman answered in an upset tone, blushing heavily. "As I said, I am a healer. I was looking for some roots and plants that are used as medicine!"
"You areshort." he answered, his voice mirroring his amusement.
Again, the bluenette didn't reply. Instead she grabbed the bowl and a wooden spoon and showed them in the hands of the more than surprised Gajeel.
"Eat up!" Levy ordered, her face indicating she was not as angry as she pretended to be. It was rather cute.
Under her severe stare, Gajeel started eating, almost choking on the first spoon-full of the vegetable soup. It tasted... weird. Not bad or gross at all, but something was odd.
"Oi, Shorty! What's in this? Ya sure ya didn't put fairy powder into it?"
What had been a rather strict but still friendly expression changed to one of pure anger in less than a second.
"Do. Not. Call. Me. A. Fairy!" Levy spoke, her voice low and quiet, sending shivers down Gajeel's spine. The girl just achieved something he would have never imagined to be possible.
"Do you know what they do to you if you are accused of being a fairy, a witch or another of the so called devil's creatures?!"
With that, Levy turned around and started cleaning the room, ignoring Gajeel at all.
The man ate in silence, staring down on the bowl in his hands, slowly taking a liking to the strange flavored soup.
"I am from the north." Gajeel spoke as he finished his meal, through he didn't lift his gaze. "Things are different up there." he added after a short pause.
The blunette didn't know what to answer to that. Hell, she didn't even know what he wanted to tell her with the revelation. But as the optimist she was, Levy decided to take it as a kind of indirect apology from a way too proud man.
"Why were you scared of talking about my injuries?" he asked after a while of silence. It was weird. On the one hand the small woman didn't seem to fear him, on the other she kept a weird way of distance.
"I wasn't." Levy replied, not looking at her patient.
"Than why?" the man continued his questioning, not having anything better to do anyway as he had to stay in bed.
"Just drop it!" the girl barked, glaring at Gajeel who decided to let it be for the time being.
She definitely wasn't going to admit that the reason she got distracted was his impressive physique and her anger at herself that she could not prevent the skin from scarring.
Due to the severity of his injuries, the raven was forced to stay in bed for another four days. He didn't want to, but Levy and the pain managed to make him rest at least for this short period.
Getting bored really fast and without anything to occupy himself with, the man watched his petite caretaker whenever he was awake. The uneven pair talked a lot during these days, being way too open for a man and woman who just met and didn't know each other at all. Sure, Gajeel was mocking Levy half the time and the girl fought back with a force he had never seen before, but that didn't change the fact that it broke many conventions.
Gajeel couldn't help but bring on a little respect for Levy, even through she was a woman. The only one before her who had earned it, has been Erza Scarlet, a legend along the northern people who was stronger than most men and one of his companions.
On the fifth day, Gajeel was finally allowed to leave the bed, as Levy officially declared that there wasn't a risk of his wounds reopening again at all anymore.
He wasn't allowed to do any heavy work or do any sudden movements, but it was still better than sitting or lying around all day.
As Gajeel stood up, with Levy supporting him from the side, a sudden realization struck him. He had through that she was of a rather small posture, but Levy didn't even reach his shoulder!
"So ya still wanna tell me that ya aren't a Shorty?" he glanced down at the bluenette, grinning widely. It earned him a glare, but the lack of response, different from the first day, told him he had won.
That day, Gajeel finally got the chance to clean himself. It may have not been usual among the common folk down there to bathe or wash themselves very often, but where he was from the people saw it as a must to take a bath every few days if not every day.
As Gajeel reentered the small house, finally completely clean, a loud sound brought his attention to Levy.
Her face was red as a tomato when she started collecting the dishes she dropped from the floor.
"Ya are clumsy, Shorty." Gajeel mumbled completely unaware of being the case of the clumsiness. He was rather handsome without all the blood and dirt. Tall, with nice muscles and long black mane falling down his back and some strands into his face.
The two of them didn't talk much after that, Levy avoiding her patient a bit. They just briefly discussed Gajeel's plans and departure. He was planning on starting his journey back in two or three days, even though Levy argued that he wasn't strong enough yet.
Gajeel explained that he had to as soon as possible – his mission in the South was over and he had to give his king the information he had collected.
"Alright." Levy finally gave in after she understood the importance of his mission. There was no use – she would have to let go a not fully healed patient. Not that it was the only reason she didn't want him to leave. "At least rest as much as possible before you leave." she sighed. "I will give you some medicine you should use before you go."
Gajeel thanked her with a smile and watched the petite woman leave for the forest she had found him in. Apparently, it was the only place in this town where certain roots could be found and the reason why she had been there when he had lost his consciousness.
He wondered which kind of plants was rare enough to make a woman like Levy go into a forest called cursed. Maybe the books lying everywhere in the cottage could help him?
Gajeel stood up and walked over to the window to look at the open book lying on the rim. To his surprise the pages didn't contain any pictures of leaves and fruit but ancient symbols he remembered from ancient ruins back home. He frowned, remembering one of his strolls with Lily, another royal knight and a close friend of his, who had explained to him in a temple ruin that there was nobody left who could read those symbols.
Voices. Gajeel looked up from the book, jumping to the side immediately. A group of men approached the house and something about them didn't sit well with Gajeel. They reminded him of the Lord he had been training under when younger – a man called Jose corrupted by all the evil in the world.
Deciding that it would be best if he wasn't found in the house of an unwed woman, Gajeel sneaked to the back door, praying silently that they wouldn't spot him. Levy would get mad.
Luckily, the first trees weren't too far away and Gajeel reached the forest sure that he hadn't been seen. He hid behind a tree and watched the men move to the front of the house. He couldn't see what was going on but when the back door opened and one of the men looked out, he was sure they were searching the house.
Why?
Gajeel didn't leave the forest even after the men left. He knew that in a situation like this it was better to be safe than sorry – there was no use in bringing Levy in trouble.
"Gajeel?" Levy asked in confusion when she found the tall man sitting in the forest, leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"
"I didn't hear you. You really have light footing," Gajeel noted, standing up. "A group of men came and looked through your house. I decided to hide before they reached it, not sure who they were."
Levy frowned and her knuckles turned white around the basket she was carrying. "Are they gone?" she asked quietly.
"I believe so," Gajeel responded, watching the young woman carefully.
"Than let's go!" she commanded and stamped into the direction of her house.
Gajeel followed without a word, waiting for any indication of the men being still around.
Levy on the other hand walked straight to her house, her head held high and determination in her steps. She pulled the door open with a swift swing and revealed – the room just as she had left it!
Levy slowed down entered the house with careful steps, looking around with highest concentration. "They have looked at the books," she whispered when she reached the shelf, sliding with one hand over the backs of her precious collection. "They haven't taken anything, but they have moved them."
"Is that bad?" Gajeel asked from the door where he was leaning in the door frame.
"Of course it is!" Levy turned around and let the basket she had had in her one hand fall on the floor with a thump. "You have no idea what kind of books I have here!"
"What are you going to do about it?" Gajeel asked, finally moving away from the door after he closed it.
"I have no idea," Levy confessed, running a hand through her hair. "I have no idea. But I need to prepare your medicine. It will allow me to calm down!"
Gajeel nodded and moved to look at the books in the shelf hoping to find out in how much trouble Levy was.
They spent the evening in silence, speaking only as much as necessary, both in their own thoughts.
The next morning started the worst way possible.
Gajeel and Levy, who ended sleeping together on the bed for reasons neither of them understood, woke up in each others arms to the sound of heavy pounding and shouts from the door. Immediately, they took a fair distance from each other as even Gajeel understood what kind of scene would result from an unmarried woman found in the arms of an stranger.
Levy who opened the door, wearing her day-clothes now, got Gajeel's attention back to reality.
Neither of them had a chance to say something as two weird men, dressed in long red robes, entered, closely followed by a third. This time in a long purple cloak and a black beard.
"You, Levy McGarden, are accused of witchcraft and pacting with the Devil! You have been seen collecting items widely known as necessary for a dark mess and magical rituals!" the third man announced loudly.
"Look for evidence! Collect everything suspicious!" he continued with a mean grin, giving instructions to his underlings.
Gajeel, who was about to start a fight with the men froze in place as he felt Levy's small form shaking next to him. He patted her head awkwardly, trying to reassure her somehow. And yet he knew that it was in vain. It was too late.
"Master Alexei! Here are books in the ancient languages of the first men! The cursed runes and devil's books are here! She is clearly a witch!" one of the red-cloathed men shouted.
Levy didn't think about the consequences and hugged Gajeel tightly, crying.
She was surprised that he returned the gesture. The North had to be a weird place when the people didn't care about witches and magic and saw fairies as something good. She wanted to go there. With Gajeel. She didn't want to die!
"Take her!" Alexei commanded, an evil smirk on his face.
Before Gajeel knew what was happening, the small bluenette wasn't in his arms anymore, but stand in front of the men who wanted her to die the most horrible death of all, to burn her.
"Let's go!" Tears were still running down Levy's cheeks, but her voice wasn't shaking. She left her house with her head raised, almost proud, leaving a puzzled Gajeel behind.
The three inquisitors, the two red-cloathed men and Alexei, who's smirk changed into a scowl, followed her.
Usually Gajeel was one to fight and protect people who meant something to him. And hell, the girl did even through they knew each other only for a short time. She has saved his life and presented a challenge he was more than willing to accept. She was so much smaller and still an equal.
Gajeel asked himself why he couldn't move a long while after the inquisitors left, taking Levy with them. The only explanation he could come up with were the girl's actions. He has the feeling she wanted to prevent him from doing something reckless in the attempt to save her. She wanted to save him and she did. Again.
The decision was easy. Gajeel suddenly knew what to do. He grabbed the few things belonging to him and ran towards the forest where Levy had found him.
He ran and didn't stop. He ran for hours. He ran and stopped only in front of the tree where he had hid his sword as he realized he wouldn't make it with it the last time. He pulled the masterpiece of blacksmith-art out of the hollow tree and fastened it on his back.
Pleased with it, Gajeel started running again. He had to reach the town where he had left his horse a week ago.
If he wanted to fight alone against the fucking inquisitors, he had to have a safe escape ready, if it backfired. And his horse, trained for even such situation was the best choice.
Luckily, he had told the inn's owner that he would return after a week or two and take the animal with him.
Gajeel reached the town of Haljion shortly before the sun disappeared behind the mountains in the west. He had needed a day to cross the distance.
The man ran towards the inn, earning himself quite the curses and angry glares. But he didn't mind.
"My horse! Now!" he barked as he tossed five gold coins on the counter in front of the inn's owner.
The smaller man, intimidated by Gajeel to no end, just nodded to one of his farmhands who left immediately.
Gajeel turned towards the door, wanting to leave, as someone came in.
"Gajeel?" A tan man in a black furred clack blurred out, surprise and relief all about his face. "I have been looking for you! Master Makarov told you-!"
"Lily! Just listen! Something happened and I had to change the plan! There was no other way!"
"Mister, your horse is ready." the farmhand interrupted full of fear.
Shooting him a glance, Gajeel ran out, leaving Lily behind.
Seeing his friend's more than weird behavior, the tanned man didn't hesitate and followed.
"Gajeel! What's the matter?" he shouted, catching up right as they reached the horses.
"I don't have the time to explain! I have to go!" Gajeel answered as he swung himself on his horse.
With that, Lily ran towards his own, which was still standing where he left it and mimicked his friend's action.
"So what are you waiting for?" he asked teasingly. "This way to can tell me what's going on without loosing any time and you will!"
Gajeel smiled weakly as they left. His friend didn't know what he was getting himself into.
The shadow over Lily's face grew darker and darker with every word of the story. They rode in silence after Gajeel finished his explanations, a heavy air between them.
The two men knew that they had to hurry up. Every second counted, if they wanted Levy to go through torture or even the water-trial she wouldn't survive for sure. One could never tell how much time the bastards would let pass between the arrest and the beginning of their sick games.
"So where is she?" Lily asked his companion as they passed the town's gate without anybody stopping them.
Gajeel was thorn between laughing and crying as he realized he had no idea where the prison was. But he wasn't going to give up. "The town isn't that big. We will find her!" he answered without hesitation.
Sometimes, Lily had a hard time to understand how the hell did Gajeel become his best friend, through he never regretted it.
"All the cities are built the same way nowadays. The prisons are always somewhere near the wall, sometimes even inside. I pray for the first." Lily explained.
Gajeel just nodded absentmindedly.
They rode along the wall for a while now, not finding anything. Gajeel begun to wonder how big the city really was as Lily suddenly stopped his horse, pointing to a low building, built with solid stone and bars in front of the small windows. It clearly was the visible part of an underground-prison of the worst kind, standing ironically to one of the city's many churches. Or wasn't it a coincidence at all?
The two men nodded to confirm their plan again. No words were needed.
Gajeel usually wasn't one for fancy, complicated plans but Levy's life was more important to him than having it his way (what meant much blood and destruction), especially if that wouldn't work at all.
He drew his sword and kicked the door in. It was hard and solid wood with metal locks and frame, but as Gajeel was famous in the north as the Iron Dragonslayer because of his legendary strength and ability to overcome even the most solid works out of the material, it wasn't a problem at all.
Gajeel ignored the one poor guard in the room, who was taken out by Lily immediately anyway, and rushed towards the staircase leading to the cells.
Another two guards crossed his way, but didn't stand a chance against the angry dragonslayer.
"Levy?" his voice rang through the long corridor. "Levy!"
The panic rose in Gajeel at the lack of response.
He ran from cell to cell, hoping to be able to catch a glance of blue hair in one of them.
But he didn't have any luck with it. Levy was nowhere to be found.
The dragonslayer slid down the wall, burying his face in his wasn't here! He was too late!
"Gajeel?" Lily slowly approached his friend.
"She isn't here! We are too late!" the man sitting on the ground groaned full of despair.
Lily froze. After a while of heavy silence his eyes widened in sudden realization. "Gajeel, did you check the second basement?" he asked quietly. Lily barely finished the sentence as his friend jumped up and stormed to the trap-door Lily was looking at.
Gajeel ripped it out with one quick movement, jumping down recklessly right afterwards, while Lily took the nearest torch, concern defining his features and followed, climbing down the leader.
Gajeel's eyes adjusted to the darkness around him rather quickly, so he didn't need to wait for his companion to provide him with light.
Down here, the cells were different. The front side was all bars, making the prisoners good visible. If there was enough light to be able to see something, of course.
Gajeel went to the right, watching the pale, thin people on the other side of the bars carefully. Most of them didn't even look up as he passed, not more than shadows of their former selves.
"Gajeel! Come here!" Lily, who went into the opposite direction, shouted suddenly, leaning towards a cell somewhere at the end.
The dragonslayer stood next to his friend in the less than a second, pressing himself against the bars. The relief he felt when he saw Levy's small form curled up in a corner of the cell, shaking in her sleep but seemingly uninjured, couldn't be described in words.
Gajeel was about to try and bend the iron bars separating him from Levy, which would be a hard task even for him, as Lily swung a bundle of keys in front of him face, grinning.
"I through it could be useful."
The dragonslayer grabbed the keys from his friend's hand and opened the heavy door to the cell.
"Levy," Gajeel whispered as he knelt down next to the young woman, "Levy, wake up."
Levy's eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes very slowly. "Gajeel?" her voice was barely audible. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, you are not," he smiled and reached out a hand to help her stand up. "You are burning!" he noted with shock when she touched his hand.
"She has fever. No surprise in this cold if you ask me," Lily muttered from the back and threw his black cloak in Gajeel's direction who caught it with one hand. He wrapped it around the sitting form of Levy and picked up the girl who tried to protest but was silenced by a very serious look from Gajeel.
"Let's go," Lily mumbled and they started they way back.
It was a challenge to bring the girl to the upper floor, but they managed somehow. Exiting the building was a much easier feat.
Gajeel, who has been carrying Levy bridal-style the whole time frowned as he saw the horses. He didn't think about that. Hell, he didn't think at all if the girl was involved!
But once again, Lily saved the day, advising Gajeel to hand Levy over to him, climb on the horse and than get her onto the horse.
The dragonslayer had Levy barely in his arms again as steps and shouts echoed through the streets. The news of somebody breaking into the prison must have spread.
But to the two men it didn't matter. They accomplished their goal. And it would be an easy task to deal with a bunch of unarmored towsmen if they had to. They were knights of Fairy Tail after all.
But considering the fact that they had a sick girl with them, they decide to leave.
The fools of townsmen have left the gate unguarded, making their escape even easier.
"Thank you, Gajeel." Levy whispered when the town was a nice few miles behind them, making him forget everything he ever knew about manners and morals as he leaned down and kissed her.
It proved himself to be an extremely bad idea, since it ended up in him lying on hard ground with a giggling girl on top of him. And a Lily shaking his head in disbelief, grinning maniacally.
What the hell had happened in the two weeks they didn't see each other? Not that he complained.. Not at all. It promised to be entertaining.
The man rose from his horse to help Levy stand up again. He was a gentleman after all.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Levy. My name is Lily, called the Panther, and I am a knight of the Fairy Tail Orden, the same way the fool lying on the ground is."
The revelation made Levy gasp. "Fairy Tail? The patrons of Magnolia?" she asked stunned, impressed.
"Exactly, Shorty! Your future home!"